Can transfer mechanism



K. A. LEUSCHNER CAN TRANSFER MECHANISM s so, 1952 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1Filed Jan. 25, 1950 mvzuion FPEEE:

ATTORNEYS Sept. 30, 1952 K. A. LEU-SCH-NER CAN TRANSFER MECHANISM 2SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1950 INVENTOR JCuz-l H.Leu.sc]2nerATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 30, 1952 2,612,.255ifi "GANKTRANSFERMEQHANIISMQ v U I kuttiA fredlpensehner,imontelte hgaliini; I

' I ApplieationJa-lnuary-fi,1950;:SeriatNoh140i418 T seam; (o1..ias-ezsn Th resent; i-nyentionp animbject:torprovide,:a :noveLmechanism: for-1 Q transferningt cans, especially food cans; from one a.,can i;-transfer mechanism operative; to engage and ;remove ;cans from a{moving conveyorwheres inaieach; can is supported in at holder" which Yis open only lateral ly of the; -.-direction' f traavelr u iw thespace;b tweenythe to he p i therholdere -;-A inrtherobject ofthe-i a c m-t afer v mechanism :esp cial -yi. designed,-

uts qt limited "for ;-u e va c ni-d ai ine maechine as-shown immyPatent:15101 2525141, dated,

conveyor ;to-=another"trave1ing: inca different die" rection3and-,-.withoutstoppingmeither; eonveyon; Another object of theinventiomis IliOiPIOVidGJi mention:isete providei October 10, 1950 this'invention; representing a mqdifleationr oh-the can discharging ortransfer mechanism shown and described in said patent;

An additiQnaI obj ect; of the invention is to provide a: pan transfermechanism, for-the pur-,: pose described,- which z-oq nprises a novelturn-- table assembly- -including.a cam actuated, rotary,- can -,pu11-out -arm=;-un it adapted to work into the,

can holders from one of their, laterally epen sides and toengage-andpuIL cans from the holders: onto ;thez turntablep the .1aiterdelivering; the

cans-upon release by said off q nv orw i. lt is -also a erates v nfj, ofthe, invention; to :f nr9 de.-.;, n: .itrensie m c eni mw ich ionasmoothly, effiectivelmi: and without ycan unitonto a carry damage; thedeyieeheing desig'ned for simplicity. an ewnr m of, manufacture and whe.mu e,

requiring, a minimum'of;maintenance for, v repair;

ills a o her obict of the. nv t on is'slt d fiect1ve;. can'transfer ewh'ich will be exceedingly resi e? a ee w mecha m. a d" eiIectii e for,the purpose fonwhich it is designed,

- fllhesel objects are actiomplished by m'eans ;on

such structure ahdrelative. arrangement; of parts V t e ol ow ng 1 iv wla i the: can transierring; meekanislnsj workin IQPPOSH? sides. ofarrzend ess .c nvey urrat an; interm diate 2 figilztjisfa transverse.section on;

Fig. 1. a L

-Rei'erring nowmoreaeparticularly toithe characters l of reference- 1arehere--shownes mminterren opposite side '7 or an the drawings, a pair-0f: the canw'transfer: mechanisms, each "'indi cated operation.with;:.:the npperrsrrun. :ofethei latter: intermediateiqitsnend I I.Thet: canteens/ever .:,-Which1irepresentsetdihdz main @comeyor of: a:can :drainin machine;.-:as;v in'the aforesaid matent-eeis fitted-;-a1ong:its 'lengtlrn.

a :With w/p u a ty of l n itudinally rspacedmutwardlyflprojectingqcanholders 3-, each beingqopem only lat'e rally and including an,outer-sdra-inzpl 4, andan innelfwiarrsupportingvplatesii I The;1 'cans,-;;indicated=- 12,131" .6, rest 'aOn .:"bh8?: 0 supporting-plates, 5as they travel awiththefiupperz; run of the-conveyor;thererbeing':eonsiderable. spaoezbetweenr-the atop,- -;0f;gth8r0&I-1S 6and: the; drain lpla -4'-. "Bye way-zofeexplanation :it ED713295: be;saidthat when: :trayelin ;':in' .'the-,-.'1ower5mm:

rest-lon the-drain plates 4 fOITdI'QJHi-HgkgfifiXQfiSSfi; moisture iromscontents "previously: packede intor said cans.

Exceptvthat they act in alternation? thewcan transfermecha-nisms I?are-identical randetherees forea description of onerw-ill:sufficeeiorbothea A cross-.---shaft-: 1 is journaled -tin, *--conneotiom with themain suDpQitingframe-fiof the-,machinenawhich: includes vtheendlessecan; conveyor-t 2', and: a [spindle 9 upstands-,-=lateral1y outs-'fromr-,the" upper-run of rthe-fean c onveyor-r-2 being .icarr iedainLa-Journal l0 securede-toesaid main -frame j 8u The: lower: end ofsthe spindle, 9 driven from the ad-jacent end 'ofthe;,eross,-;-sha'ftrbyemeshing bevelargears A ;l I; said ficrosswshaft-being r driven:

byrsuitabie meama enq-z inetimedereiation i-to-the:

conyeyor. 2 a y atl2.' U The spindle. 9 .is fitted pwith ira oireulanturntable [3 which Flies; in, thersame horizontal; plane;

drive :means-.- indicatede inlmarlt;

as-.etheefican su pqrtingn platesdas theyri-mover along-iinithe ruppenrun -rof the rconveyorel 5811611:

turntable being ofa diameteresuchrthat it turns qui-tecloses to, saidplates ,-5' as, they pass-4;; With;-

, this;v arrangement: theeoans: 6 oanslideiromdhe;

near zsupporting plate-=5 direct1y-onto.. ,the turntable] 3 with, ease;.the cansrfi being puiledeoutz oirsaid-;ho1,ders- 3- OI'ltvQrrth-QZcorrespqndingzturn'ertable l3 nu leoutsarm-iumtz. V At {its upper end.\eaeh.;spi-nd1e9 =has zranxine; vertedy vshapede yokemlll. securedcentrau gpr its end Qthejmtc; 1.by' me ans; .of; a" 'ttachment i he-.depe ndent end- "legs of the; yokeij nap; 1.5

Radial swing arms l1 extend throng ponding fork l5 ea motion" 8 IL vea'chf-such stiiing arm is piv the corres I t1c plan atei ; -:by, thefollowing; oam-ectuated notary-,

wit ing above can transfer mechanism, cans;-

' positive, and efiec tivei Each swing arm I! is fitted, at the outerend, with a projecting finger I 9 which carries, at its free end, adepending nub 20.

A compression spring 2| seats between the inner end portion of eachswing arm I 1 and 5 the top of the yoke l4, whereby to urge the fingerI9 and the nub 20 to an elevated or nonw r inefp sitiqne I The inner 'i'end iportion of each .swing arm I! is fitted, on the under side, with aball bear- 10 ing or other depending anti-friction member 22, l and suchmember bears downwardly and travels on an annular cam 23 which surroundsthespindle 9 above the turntable 13; such annular cam 23 being mountedon a fixed horizontalplate' 24' secured rigidly in connectiongwith" themain frame 8.

The annular cam 23 is formed, on its top surface, with a part-circlelift 25 of predetermined arcuate extent and position;' each'radial swingarm l1, together with-itsfinger I9 and depending nub 20, beingcaus'edtoswing downward at theouter' "end upon the corresponding ballibearing''22 ridmg'said" cam "lift 25. j

--The spindle*9"is rotated at such speed, and each spring arm l1; togeter with its finger i9. is of such length, that with each revolution ofsaid spindle theflnger l9 s eeps throu h anadjacent one of the canholders 3 from the side thereof and init ally above the su ported can6.- Asfeach finger l9 sweeps into such an' ad 'acent can holder therelated swin arm I I islefi the c'ain'lift 25 and i's'inan"elevated-non-working position? Im'mdiatelv thereafter the relatedhall beafin fil'l run onto the cam lift 25, swinging said 'ifadiali armH- and finger I9 downwardly, whereupon the" depending hub engages in theOpen top of said can. '"witliflcontinued otation of the spindle thecaning-wh ch tbe 'denend ng mm 0 is so-en a ed is wung-burnt its ho der3 onto the circular turntable I 3 :fI'the nub 2 ii remaining engaged inthe"can forapprokiniately 180: i. e. to a point o'ri t eturntablemost-remote from the conveyor 2} The re ated ball'bearing'22 then ridesoff the cain 'lift25 and thecorrespondine swin a'nhn,

fin ers- 19; and 'd'peiidingnub 20 are springs urged upwardl'v clear ofthe can; f the latter than travel ng-6sthe turntable rafpn'to an endiscarry-be conveyor f2B,- which -'is supported in pa'rtbya lateral bracket21; and which runs ara-net to the conveyor 2 but in an oppositedirection. I v H fi- '-The corresponding radial swing arms 11' of theseparatecaatransfer mechanisms l are set approximately 90 apartfsofthatsaid arms work alternately into the can holders 3 to engage and pull;cans out thereof onto the turntables 13, whereby onlyhalf of the cansfrom the conveyor 2 travel the resp'ective carry-off convevors zfi.

The cans asgl hey are swept from the holders 3 onto the turntables l3engage suitable guides 28 -'-which-- pievnt' "said cans from Vescapingthe turntables l3 in an outward dijrectiony'the cans I as theyengage on and travel with the carryi -ofi 65 conveyors 2Q beinglikewis'e'guided, as at29.

fibi an i endless conveyor can be effectively charged from the latteftoone or bothsides there-g' o f, dependent on the number of m ecl ianismsl "l'ii'ch a're -employed;-ithe action of, engaging and,

pulling the cansrrom-the holders} beingsmoothg Fromthe foregoingdescription it willjbelread-g ily seen that there has been produced sucha which Letters Patent are desired:

1. Mechanism adapted to transfer open cans from a conveyor laterallyonto an adjacent support, comprising an upstanding driven spindleprojecting above the support, and a rotary arm unit radiating from thespindle above the support adapted to successively engage and drag 'cansonto said support from the conveyor; the

arm unit being vertically swingable, an element on the outerend of thearml unit adapted t'o lower into" each cansfromlabove' toi engage-theupstanding wall ofs'uch'can indragging relation,

and means to -raisev and lo'wer'the' arm unitin predetermined timedrelation to'traveliofcans on said conveyor." i r s w 2. In combinationwith apair of adjacent con-'- veyors', onehaving laterally op'ening canholder's" ther'o'n'and the other beinga can carry-off con: veyor, a cantransfer mechanism; working bei-i' tween said conveyors, comprising'a'drive-nturn; table assembly positioned between said conveyors toreceivecans from said one conveyor and to deliver said cans to the otherconveyor, aspind le upstanding; axially fromfand driven"'-yvith theturntable assembly, an armjunit radiating -frc'i in the spindle above thturntable assembly,- js'aid arm unit being ofa length to sweep into andout of an adjacent annons; from' the side with each revolution ofsaid'spindle, means'pi'voting the arm unit in connection with thespindle for vertical swinging; the arm unit being abo've the related canupon swinging into a holder, and cam means operative to then lowerthearm' unit in'to" canpengagement and maintain said engagement untilthe arm unit 'has withdrawn theengage'd can from the holder' onto theturntable 'asse'm horizontal conveyor laterally onto an adiagntturntable, comprising a driven spindle upstandf ing from'r theturntable"axially-thereof, a doubleended yokelfixed on the 'spindleabove the turn table, opposed arm units radiating'from adjacent thespindle under the yokefandof aradial length sufiicient to overhangtheconveyor at onepointin 7 their circular movementgsaid units beingpivoted intermediate theirend's onsaid yoke for vertical j swingingmotion between predetermined; raised and lowered positions, each armunitjinclu'ding' a depending nub adjacentits outer end to enter a can onthe conveyor foriengagement with th'eflup. standing wall thereof onlywhen the arm unit is in its lowered position, and an annular'fixed camabout the spindle: between the turntableand arm units and engaged'bythe-adjacent ends of the latter; the 'cam being shaped to' cause tliea1"m units to recurring ly' lower and raise atprede-"zi terminatedpoints in the rotary path of travel of the arm units.

4; .A can tra'nsferi'apparatus compri'singfiin veyors on opposite sidesof the central conveyors onto which the corresponding turntablesdeliver, and can engaging members rotatably mounted with and on theturntables disposed and adapted with respect to each other to engage andtransfer cans in succession from the holders to the correspondingturntables but in alternating order.

5. Mechanism to transfer open cans from a conveyor laterally onto anadjacent support comprising a horizontal arm unit disposed above thesupport and conveyor and including a depending nub on one end adapted toentera can and engage against the upstanding wall thereof, meansmounting the arm unit for horizontal movement between a position inwhich the nub overhangs the conveyor and a can thereon and anotherposition in which the nub overhangs the support, and means acting on thearm unit upon 6 such movement thereoi to lower the nub when reaching thefirst named position and to raise the nub clear of the can when the armunit reaches said other position.

' KURT ALFRED LEUSCHNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

"UNITED STATES PATENTS

